JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 14, 2023) – ETSU men’s basketball head coach Brooks Savage and his staff announced on Thursday the addition of North Florida transfer Jadyn Parker (Shallotte, N.C.) to the 2023-24 Buccaneer roster.
Parker comes to ETSU after playing the first three seasons at UNF where he totaled 539 points, 346 rebounds, 114 blocks and 36 steals in 81 games (53 starts). The 6-foot-10 forward from Shallotte, N.C. will have two years of eligibility remaining.
“Jadyn brings great size, experience and athleticism to our team,” said Savage. “He can be an elite rim protector and shot blocker in our league, as well as bringing a talented offensive skill set. Jadyn comes from a great basketball pedigree and is just starting to scratch the surface of how good he can be. He’s a perfect fit for our style of play and embodies the core values of what our program will be built upon. Jadyn will impact winning on both ends of the floor and is a player that our fans will love to watch.”
In his three years at UNF, Parker scored in double figures 20 times, with his career high being 17 points against Kennesaw State (Feb. 12, 2022) and Lipscomb (May 3, 2022). Parker has a 57.3 career shooting percentage as he shot over 70 percent in 23 contests. Parker registered three career double-doubles, which includes a 16-point, 10-rebound performance against Florida Gulf Coast on Feb. 19, 2022. The 6-foot-10 shot blocker registered at least one block in nearly 70 percent of games played at UNF.
“I chose ETSU because they have believed in me since the beginning when I entered the portal,” said Parker. “The facilities and new staff were great, and we all have the same goals for myself and the team. I really got along well with the team and they are guys I want to play with. ETSU is a place I can finish out my two years and get to where I want to go in basketball and school.”
During his redshirt freshman season in 2021-22, Parker averaged 8.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.63 blocks per game. Parker blocked at least one shot in 20 of his 30 games that season, including a single-game program record nine blocks against Stetson on Feb. 26, 2022. Parker was one of the top shot blockers in the country that season as he registered 72.
This past 2022-23 season, Parker started all 30 games for the Ospreys where he averaged 6.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. At the end of the season, Parker ranked 39th nationally in blocks per game. Parker scored a season-high 16 points and grabbed six rebounds against FGCU on Feb. 9, beginning a stretch of three straight games where he scored in double figures. The Shallotte, N.C. native then added back-to-back 12-point games against Stetson and Lipscomb. To go with the 12 points against the Bisons, Parker posted seven rebounds and four blocks in 25 minutes of action.
Parker, an ASUN Honor Roll member, played high school basketball at West Brunswick where he averaged 21.5 points, 14.3 rebounds and 5.0 blocks during his senior season. The 1,000-point scorer was named Conference Player of the Year and participated in the North Carolina East/West All-Star game.
Parker’s father (Carl) played collegiate basketball at William and Mary and professionally in Spain, while his brother played at St. Augustine University.
For more information on Buccaneer men’s basketball, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s basketball tab.
